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Marc Marquez Signs Two-Year Contract Extension With Repsol Honda Team

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has issued the following press release regarding the extension of the contract of Marc Márquez to race for the Repsol Honda MotoGP Team. Márquez’ contract was scheduled to expire at the end of this year, and a bidding war could easily have been conducted for the services of the 25-year-old superstar who has already secured four MotoGP championships. As it stands, Márquez will be on a Honda through the 2020 season, at least.

Here is the full press release from HRC:

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) is pleased to announce the extension of its contract with 25-year-old Spanish rider Marc Márquez, currently competing in the FIM MotoGP World Championship for the HRC’s factory team “Repsol Honda Team,” that will see him continue to race for two more years beginning in 2019.

After winning the 125cc Championship in 2010, Márquez moved on to Moto2 racing in 2011 to win the title in 2012. In 2013, in his debut year in the premier class, he became the world’s youngest champion after taking the title for the Repsol Honda Team.

In 2017, he became the youngest rider in history to win four titles in the premier class.

Marc Márquez’ World Championship Achievements

MotoGP

World Champion: 4（2013, 2014, 2016, 2017）

Starts: 90

Podiums: 63（35 x 1st, 19 x 2nd, 9 x 3rd）

Poles: 45

Fastest Race Laps: 37

Moto2

World Champion: 1（2012）

Starts: 32

Podiums: 25（16 x 1st, 6 x 2nd, 3 x 3rd）

Poles: 14

Fastest Race Laps: 7

125cc

World Champion: 1（2010）

Starts: 46

Podiums: 14（10 x 1st, 4 x 3rd）

Poles: 14

Marc Marquez

“I’m excited to continue to race for Honda’s factory team in the MotoGP class. I’m proud to race as a member of the Honda family, and I appreciate how Honda and the team always do their best to provide me with everything I need. I would also like to thank everyone who has given me such warm support over the years. The first two official tests went well and, with my contract renewed, I can focus on racing in the new season. I will continue to enjoy racing, share my joy with everybody and do my best to reach our shared goals. Thank you!”

Yoshishige Nomura
HRC President

“I am very pleased that Marc Márquez will continue to ride for our factory team. Márquez has consistently pushed himself to the limit and matured as a rider, and given Honda many titles. We were able to announce the contract renewal at such an early stage due to our mutual trust, and our common passion for racing. I am certain that we can provide an environment for him to concentrate on the final tests in Qatar this week and in the lead-up to the opening round, and that we can start the 2018 season strongly. HRC will continue its challenge with Márquez, a vital rider in the future of MotoGP. I appreciate and look forward to everyone’s continued support for the Repsol Honda Team.”

Whoa, if $150 bucks is too much to watch races at 18 venues, maybe you should shut off your computer to save some money. Each race weekend has 3 different classes, so that amounts to 56 different races, not to mention qualifying and archive races. Step up to the plate and spend some cash, you won’t regret it.

One of his “World Championship Achievements” has been the highest speed crash ever (2013, Mugello, 337.9km/h (209.9mph) when he left the track, little less when he hit the ground). Hopefully he stays healthy.

I recall one of the riders, I think it may have been Nicky Hayden, saying something along the lines of, “If you don’t crash occasionally, you never find the limits of your bike.” (Or something similar). The top riders do push their bikes to the absolute limits, that’s what seperates the aliens from the rest.